Overview
Position: Outside linebacker
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 213 pounds
Position: South Carolina State Bulldogs
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.7 seconds
Bench press: 17 reps
Darius Leonard 2018 NFL Draft Profile
The brother of former Clemson linebacker Anthony Waters, Darius Leonard dreamt of following his older brother’s footsteps and playing football for the Tigers in Death Valley. However, he never received the scholarship phone call from head coach Dabo Swinney. In fact, the Tigers told Leonard that he could try out for the program as a preferred walk-on. But being rejected by Clemson did not stop Leonard’s pursuit in becoming an NFL player. Instead, it was his biggest motivation.
Leonard was 180 pounds coming out of Lakeview High School and was considered too small by plenty of Division I programs to deserve a scholarship. Instead, he received a scholarship from South Carolina State University and committed to continue his football career there. Leonard redshirted his first year with the Bulldogs but the following season, he made an immediate impact and led the team with 85 tackles to go along with 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two forced fumbles. As a redshirt sophomore, Leonard recorded 70 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two interceptions and earned his first First Team All-MEAC selection.
As a redshirt junior, Leonard finally got the chance to face Clemson and even though his team may have lost, Leonard had the performance of a lifetime. He finished the game with 19 tackles and a blocked field goal but most importantly, rode that momentum and had a career year. Leonard recorded 124 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and four forced fumbles while on his way to winning the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
In his final year with the Bulldogs, Leonard recorded 113 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble. His performance earned him an invitation to the 2018 Senior Bowl where she stood out all week during practice and showcased his abilities to both drop back in coverage and be a factor in the run game.
Strengths
- has ideal speed and athleticism of modern day outside linebackers;
- sure tackler in the open field;
- very fluid hips out in coverage;
- excellent pass rusher – sets up his moves well;
- plays with a relentless motor;
- outstanding closing speed – can cover sideline to sideline;
- big hitter, plays with a low pad level;
- has very good hands, six career interceptions;
- sheds and eludes blockers well in the run game;
- has quick initial reads that allow him to make plays in the backfield, 54 career tackles for loss;
Weaknesses
- tends to elude blockers rather than taking them on in the run game;
- spotty in man coverage;
- still considered small for linebacker position;
- overall instincts and ability to read offensive tendencies still needs improvement;
- did not flash athleticism and strength at the Combine;
NFL Comparison: Thomas Davis
Teams With need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins
Projection: Second to fourth round
Bottom Line
If you watched Leonard’s film without knowing what team he played for, you would have thought that he was an SEC caliber linebacker. Leonard flies up and down the field and has a great instinct for finding the football in both the passing and running game. He has safety-like instincts when in coverage but also has thskill setet to rush the passer at a very high level. He had his best games against elite talent – Clemson, Tarik Cohen, etc. – and plays with a chip on his shoulder that a lot of prospects who come from big football programs do not have. Ideally, Leonard fits best aa s weakside linebacker in a 4-3 defense and should compete, if not win a starting spot next season.
